17,584 research outputs found
Characterisation of sperm piRNAs and their correlation with semen quality traits in swine
No full textPiwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that are essential in the transcriptional silencing of transposable elements and warrant genome stability in the mammalian germline. In this study, we have identified piRNAs in porcine sperm using male germline and zygote datasets from human, mice, cow and pig, and evaluated the relation between their abundances and sperm quality traits. In our analysis, we identified 283 382 piRNAs, 1355 of which correlated with P ≤ 0.01 to at least one semen quality trait. Fifty-seven percent of the correlated piRNAs mapped less than 50 kb apart from any other piRNA in the pig genome. Furthermore, piRNA location was significantly enriched near long interspersed nuclear elements. Moreover, some of the significant piRNAs mapped within or close to genes relevant for fertility or spermatogenesis such as CSNK1G2 and PSMF1
The distinctive role of morality in fostering behavioural tendencies of facilitation towards Romanian Roma and immigrants
No full textTwo studies were conducted to investigate the role of the morality dimension in the prejudice towards a group of Roma (the Romanian Roma) in comparison with other immigrants (Moroccan and Romanian immigrants). Since prejudice towards Romanian Roma is a subject that is still underexplored, Study 1 describes stereotype content (in terms of morality, sociability and competence), emotions and social distance preferred by a group of Italians towards this out-group. Study 2, also adding the measurement of the stereotype dimension of immorality, compared stereotypes, positive emotions felt by Italians and their behavioural tendencies of facilitation towards Romanian Roma, Moroccan immigrants, and Romanian immigrants. Positive emotions resulted to mediate between some stereotype dimensions and the behavioural tendencies, but direct effects of morality and competence were also observed. In addition, low morality resulted to be the stereotype dimension that had a crucial role in reducing the behavioural tendencies of participants’ facilitation towards Romanian Roma
FIGURE 9 in Revision of the Ranitomeya fantastica species complex with description of two new species from Central Peru (Anura: Dendrobatidae)
No full textFIGURE 9. Photos of R. fantastica. A–J: Tarapoto, San Martin. K–M: Lower Huallaga, San Martin. P–S: Pongo de Cainarachi, San Martin.Published as part of Brown, Jason L., Twomey, Evan, Pepper, Mark & Rodriguez, Manuel Sanchez, 2008, Revision of the Ranitomeya fantastica species complex with description of two new species from Central Peru (Anura: Dendrobatidae), pp. 1-24 in Zootaxa 1823 on page 22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18303
Overview of the author identification task at PAN 2014
No full textThe author identification task at PAN-2014 focuses on author verification. Similar to PAN-2013 we are given a set of documents by the same author along with exactly one document of questioned authorship, and the task is to determine whether the known and the questioned documents are by the same author or not. In comparison to PAN-2013, a significantly larger corpus was built comprising hundreds of documents in four natural languages (Dutch, English, Greek, and Spanish) and four genres (essays, reviews, novels, opinion articles). In addition, more suitable performance measures are used focusing on the accuracy and the confidence of the predictions as well as the ability of the submitted methods to leave some problems unanswered in case there is great uncertainty. To this end, we adopt the c@1 measure, originally proposed for the question answering task. We received 13 software submissions that were evaluated in the TIRA framework. Analytical evaluation results are presented where one language-independent approach serves as a challenging baseline. Moreover, we continue the successful practice of the PAN labs to examine meta-models based on the combination of all submitted systems. Last but not least, we provide statistical significance tests to demonstrate the important differences between the submitted approaches
Fuzzy protein-DNA interactions and beyond: A common theme in transcription?
No full textGene expression regulation requires both diversity and specificity. How can these two contradictory conditions be reconciled? Dynamic DNA recognition mechanisms lead to heterogeneous bound conformations, which can be shifted by the cellular cues. Here we summarise recent experimental evidence on how fuzzy interactions contribute to chromatin remodelling, regulation of DNA replication and repair and transcription factor binding. We describe how the binding mode continuum between DNA and regulatory factors lead to variable, multisite contact patterns; polyelectrolyte competitions; on-the-fly shape readouts; autoinhibition controlled by post- translational modifications or dynamic oligomerisation mechanisms. Increasing experimental evidence supports the rugged energy landscape of the bound protein-DNA assembly, modulation of which leads to distinct functional outcomes. Recent results suggest the evolutionary conservation of these combinatorial mechanisms with moderate sequence constraints in the malleable transcriptional machinery
Thermal impact from a thermoelectric power plant on a tropical coastal lagoon
No full textTropical coastal areas are sensitive ecosystems to climate change, mainly due to sea level rise and increasing water temperatures. Furthermore, they may be subject to numerous stresses, including heat releases from energy production. The Urias coastal lagoon (SE Gulf of California), a subtropical tidal estuary, receives cooling water releases from a thermoelectric power plant, urban and industrial wastes, and shrimp farm discharges. In order to evaluate the plant thermal impact, we measured synchronous temperature time series close to and far from the plant. Furthermore, in order to discriminate the thermal pollution impact from natural variability, we used a high-resolution hydrodynamic model forced by, amongst others, cooling water release as a continuous flow (7.78 m3 s?1) at 6 °C overheating temperature. Model results and field data indicated that the main thermal impact was temporally restricted to the warmest months, spatially restricted to the surface layers (above 0.6 m) and distributed along the shoreline within ?100 m of the release point. The methodology and results of this study can be extrapolated to tropical coastal lagoons that receive heat discharges.<br/
1. Trade interests and extra-diplomatic activities: The case of the Swedish Consulate in Sardinia in the mid-18Th century seen through archival sources
No full textFIGURE 4 in First Inventory of Sea Anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) of the Mexican Caribbean
No full textFIGURE 4.—Bunodosoma granuliferum. (A) Live specimen, lateral view. (B) Oral view. (C) Pedal disc view. (D) Lateral view. (E) Cross section through distal column. (F) Longitudinal section through column margin. (G–Q) Cnidae.—tentacles: (G) basitrich, (H) spirocyst; actinopharynx: (I) basitrich, (J) basitrich, (K) microbasic p-mastigophore; column: (L) basitrich, (M) basitrich; acrorhagi: (N) basitrich, (O) holotrich; filament: (P) basitrich, (Q) microbasic p-mastigophore. Abbreviations.—acr: acrorhagi, c: column, fo: fossa, msp: marginal sphincter, od: oral disc, pb: parietobasilar muscles, pd: pedal disc, rm: retractor muscles, s: siphonoglyph, t: tentacle, ve: vesicle. Scale bars.—A–D: 10 mm; E–F: 200 µm; G–Q: 25 µm.Published as part of Gonzalez-Muñoz, Ricardo, Simões, Nuno, Sanchez-Rodriguez, Judith, Rodriguez, Estefania & Segura-Puertas, Lourdes, 2012, First Inventory of Sea Anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) of the Mexican Caribbean, pp. 1-38 in Zootaxa 3556 on page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20398
How do emission reductions of individual national and local measures impact street-level air quality in a neighbourhood of Madrid, Spain?
No full textThis paper aims to assess the impact of individual measures for NOx emission reduction on NO2 concentrations at very high spatial resolution in an urban district of Madrid City (Spain). A methodology based on a set of Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations for 16 meteorological scenarios combined with the CHIMERE model for background pollution is used to obtain annual NO2 concentration maps. Two scenarios included in the Spanish National Air Pollution Control Programme are investigated: NOx emission reductions from the installation of more efficient boilers for domestic heating (ECOBOIL) and from the partly substitution of passenger cars with combustion engines by electric cars (EC). This analysis is extended to 9 additional scenarios of more ambitious implementation of electric vehicles in order to determine what the NOx emission reduction required for the annual mean NO2 concentration EU limit value not being exceeded is. The ECOBOIL scenario has a very weak impact on the NO2 concentrations. However, the EC scenario implies a more significant reduction of the NO2 concentrations, but not enough to fully remove NO2 limit value exceedances in the study area. A small additional (compared with the EC scenario) implementation of electric vehicles seems to fulfil that the spatially averaged NO2 concentration be lower than the EU limit value, but the area with exceedances is still very large. However, stronger traffic emission reductions (80%) corresponding to the most ambitious scenarios are needed in order to reach that at least 95% of the domain is free of EU limit value exceedances
Climate, drought and hydrology drive narrow-leaved ash growth dynamics in southern European riparian forests
No full textMediterranean riparian forests are among the most threatened ecosystems in Europe. These ecosystems are exposed to land-use changes threatening their reduced habitat and by global warming, which is already triggering aridification processes. To assess the impact of these major threats, we studied the radial-growth responses to climate and drought in the narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia). This riparian tree species presents a relatively large ecological spectrum in its habitat preference in the Mediterranean Basin. We studied five sites arranged across a wide geographical range from Iberia to Italy, subjected to contrasting climatic conditions and located in hydrographic basins with different sizes and water regimes. We found diverse growth responses to climate and drought across the Mediterranean distribution range of the narrow-leaved ash at the individual and site levels. The growth of this species increased in response to wet and cool conditions in the prior winter and spring. The response to summer conditions was only observed in the coldest and wettest site (Ticino). Growth responded negatively to 2–14 month droughts that occurred from previous winter up to summer, particularly in the warmest-driest sites. Growth responses to drought peaked in the warmest-driest sites in terms of climate water balance (Odelouca, Doñana), but not in the driest sites in terms of annual precipitation (Tudela, Zaragoza). Hydrological conditions also affected the narrow-leaved ash with high discharges in the prior winter and early spring enhancing wood production. Considering projected aridification and increased hydrological alteration, implying limited water supply in the Mediterranean region, climate warming will negatively impact productivity of narrow-leaved ash riparian forests. Further research should combine analyses of growth responses to climate and hydrology from tree to basin scales to disentangle their relative roles as drivers of productivity under different scenarios of climate and hydrological changes, in order to aid adaptive management of these key ecosystems
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